Ravens are quick to take command in 33-14 victory over Patriots

Reporting from Foxborough, Mass. — 

The Baltimore Ravens needed only a matter of minutes to obliterate the team of the decade.

From the first offensive play -- Ray Rice’s 83-yard sprint for a touchdown -- the Ravens ambushed the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in front of an announced 68,756 with one of the best starts in NFL playoff history and ran away with a 33-14 victory in an AFC wild-card game Sunday.

The Ravens’ first step toward the Super Bowl represented an authoritative stomp: The sixth-seeded Ravens played physically, fast and nearly flawlessly to vault to a 24-0 first-quarter lead and shatter the mystique of the Patriots.

Rice made a mockery of Bill Belichick’s defensive strategy, gaining 94 yards and two touchdowns in the first 11 minutes. The Ravens’ defense rattled quarterback Tom Brady into three turnovers on the first four series, turning the playoff hero into Kyle Boller.

Now, after beating the most successful franchise of the 2000s (the Patriots won three Super Bowl titles), the Ravens advance to play the team with the most wins of the decade -- the top-seeded Indianapolis Colts.

“When you beat a team like the New England Patriots, it sets a high precedent for any Ravens team. We will always remember this win,” Rice said. “The ultimate goal is the Super Bowl. Beating them up here really puts us toward that goal.”

The Ravens showed they weren’t in awe of the Patriots’ tradition -- Belichick and Brady had never lost a home playoff game -- from the time they stepped onto the field.

It started on the Ravens’ first snap, when Rice squeezed through a crease in the middle of the line. On one of the most basic running plays in the Ravens’ playbook -- offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said he has called it hundreds of times in his career -- center Matt Birk shoved nose tackle Vince Wilfork to the left side and guards Ben Grubbs and Marshal Yanda opened a crack.

Rice then beat safety Brandon Meriweather, who started 15 yards from the line of scrimmage, to the left sideline and outraced everyone to the end zone. Rice’s career-long run put the Ravens ahead 17 seconds into the game.

“To start off with that big run was a statement by our offensive line and by Ray,” Ravens Coach John Harbaugh said.

According to running back Willis McGahee, Rice made the statement long before the touchdown. The small yet powerful Rice told teammates that he would bust a long run and set the tempo in the locker room, McGahee said

“I wanted to be the guy today to start this game off fast, whether it was going to be a five-yard run on the first play or an 83-yard run,” said Rice, who finished with 159 yards on 22 carries.

The Ravens’ defense relentlessly pressured Brady, who had won 23 straight home games.

Terrell Suggs’ strip of Brady on the Patriots’ first series led to Le’Ron McClain’s one-yard touchdown run. Chris Carr’s interception, the result of Jarret Johnson’s pressure on Brady, led to Rice’s one-yard touchdown run. And Ed Reed’s interception-and-lateral to Dawan Landry led to a 27-yard field goal.

The damage after one quarter: 24-0. The pained look on Brady’s face was probably the combination of the Ravens’ staggering defense and various injuries.

Baltimore’s start tied the most points scored in a playoff game’s first quarter since 1991.

“I think we were more ready to play emotionally than they were,” defensive end Trevor Pryce said. “It has nothing to do with game plan or anything. After that first run, you could tell it was going to happen. It’s hard to overcome that. That’s a psyche killer.”

Quarterback Joe Flacco, who acknowledged that he’s battling a quadriceps injury, set Ravens playoff lows with four completions and 34 passing yards.

Not that it mattered.

“We looked up on the scoreboard, and all of sudden it’s 24-0,” Flacco said.

jamison.hensley@baltsun.com